The remains of a deserted steamboat sit rusting beside an old ferry pier and an abandoned train platform.

The rusting remains of the largest assembled WWII fleet on the West Coast.

A ruined hotel with an unlucky history and an eerie present.

This hidden amusement park is a magical escape for kids and kids-at-heart.

This large pile of traveler-curated rocks by the dry lakebed is a longstanding tradition on the Old Mojave Road.

A lawless town deep in Death Valley was famous for its riches and death rate.

A 19th-century cabin built into a hollowed-out Sequoia tree.

The most beautiful Taco Bell in the world even has surfboard parking.

At the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, a small sign basically begs for a high-five.

L. Frank Baum wrote part of the "Wizard of Oz" series in this wooden Victorian beach resort.

This surreptitious shop is only open five hours per week.

A chain of bells connect the California Missions and honor the legend of the "King’s Highway."

Of all the origin stories for weed's secret code, this one likely has the goods.

More than 700 species live within this murky marvel of a swamp on California's coast.

Home of what was the largest hydraulic mine in the world, producing gold and the first diamonds in the U.S.

Approximately 250,000 people left homeless by the great earthquake and fires found shelter in Golden Gate Park.

Hidden beneath a lake for decades, this brutalist mine has now emerged from beneath the receding waters.

Hike amid the palm trees that thrive among Southern California's Indio Hills.

This municipal playground was co-created by the father of one of the most playful characters ever.

Like a kitschy mirage in the Mojave, this eatery serves up classic 50s-style diner meals and a dinosaur sculpture garden.

A basement full of treasures lies beneath this inn that has worn many hats throughout its 140+ years.

This remarkably simple jail went over a century without an escape.

A poignant memorial to a young boy whose death spurred a dramatic increase in organ donations in Italy—dubbed the "Nicholas Effect."

Humboldt's human-powered sculptures race across land and sea for days on end in a wacky quest for dominance.